The Millennial Temple

by H. King, Kirkintilloch | Category: The House Of God | Nov 1974

It is evident from the Scriptures that there will indeed be a temple in Jerusalem during the thousand years when the Lord Jesus Christ will exercise His rule and authority over this world. Such a passage as Isaiah 2:2-4, is clearly millennial in its context because of the words of verse 4, "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more". This being so, the words of the previous verses, which refer to the house of God, must refer to that house in millennial times.

When the peoples shall say, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob", they will manifest a true change of heart in that they themselves offer willingly to go up. This willingness is also seen in the use of the word "flow" in verse 2, "all nations shall flow unto it", for there is no thought of pressure or compulsion in the word "flow". It speaks of water finding its own level and coming to rest, just as men of all times find their rest in God.

The mountain of the Lord's house will be firmly established at the head of the mountains. This may have reference to physical changes in the earth, as described in the 46th Psalm, which will take place as a result of the earthquakes prior to the coming of the Son of Man, but more important than this is the fact that the house of the Lord in Jerusalem will be established in fame and reputation as the place where men may go to learn the knowledge of the Lord. There is no higher knowledge than this; it is greater than all the sciences, and many peoples will say, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem". The Lord will sit as Judge, and will decide the controversies of nations with decisions of perfect righteousness against which there is no appeal, for there is no higher court. All nations will benefit from the administration of the Righteous Judge, for out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

When we consider the material consequences of the cessation of all wars, and the subsequent channelling of wealth into the produce of the earth, and into rebuilding programmes, we can imagine the wealth of the nations that will be poured into Israel, as mentioned in Isaiah 60:5, "the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee". Israel's sons also shall come from afar, bringing their silver and their gold with them for the name of the Lord their God and for the Holy One of Israel (v.9). Out of this abundance of wealth Israel will build a temple of magnificence and glory such as men have never seen before. The Lord Himself speaks of it with affection as, "My beautiful house" (v.7) or "the house of My glory", for the house will be built for the habitation of His glory.

In those days Israel will know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, and as their King, for the veil of unbelief will be removed from their hearts, and they will give vent to their feelings of gratitude and appreciation in the vast material offerings which they will bring for the building of the temple. The Lord will make the entire city of Jerusalem an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations, and men shall call her, the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 60:14,15).

What a transformation will be seen in the hearts of men when they come to Jerusalem to minister to Israel, and to seek the favour of Israel's God! The house of God will be called a house of prayer for all peoples, and they will offer burnt-offerings and sacrifices with acceptance upon the altar of the Lord (Isa. 56:7). Note in this verse that the Lord will make them joyful in His house of prayer. Isn't this as it should be? The service of God's house, whether it be sacrifice or prayer, ought to be a service of great joy, and if that joy is lacking, we are lacking in our strength to serve Him, even as Nehemiah said, "The joy of the LORD is your strength". It is the desire of God that men should serve Him and worship Him with joyful hearts, and in those millennial days it will be the crowning joy of men's hearts to go up to the house of God in Jerusalem.

The question has often been raised as to the purpose of sacrifice and offering in millennial times, in view of the fact that since the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no more offering for sin. One of the major themes dealt with in the epistle to the Hebrews is the truth of the once-for-all Sacrifice through which we have obtained eternal redemption. Why then should God accept sacrifices and offerings again as in Old Testament times? for they shall come up with acceptance upon His altar (Isa. 60:7; 56:7). God accepted the sacrifices of Old Testament times because they were a sweet savour to Him of the coming sacrifice of His Son. Could He not then accept those millennial sacrifices as being a sweet memorial of the sacrifice of His beloved Son, especially as those who will minister the sacrifices will be circumcized in heart as well as in flesh? (Ezek. 44:9). There will be no hypocrisy in that service as there was in so many in Israel in the past, but rather a heartfelt appreciation of the spiritual significance of what they are doing. The Levites of that day will be purged and purified by the furnace of affliction, and they will offer unto the Lord offerings in righteousness (Mal. 3:3), thus adding character to the joyful service of God's house.

The temple described by Ezekiel in chapters 40-46 has not been built yet. He was given the vision of this house while he was a captive in Babylon, then sixty-five years later the remnant went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple which a great king of Israel built many years before (Ezra 5:11); this, of course, being Solomon's temple. Ezekiel is describing a temple greater in extent than that which Solomon built, and is obviously suit6d to the days of Israel's glory during the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The view that the Ezekiel temple was an alternative" 'plan of God would conflict with the fact that Solomon's temple was God's plan (with certain modifications) for the remnant who were in captivity with Ezekiel. We are thus led to the conclusion that the Ezekiel temple is millennial, and is the house of the God of Jacob referred to in the passage in Isaiah quoted earlier in this paper.

The sons of Zadok will be given the priesthood as a recompense for their faithfulness in keeping the charge of God's sanctuary in days when Israel went astray from the Lord, and one of their prime duties will be to teach God's people the difference between the holy and the common (Ezek. 44:23). The reason for this is given in the previous chapter, where the Lord emphasizes the fact that the house was the place of His throne, and the place of the soles of His feet, where He would rest in the midst of the children of Israel (43:7). But Israel had no respect or reverence for the holy character of the Lord their God, and we read that they set their threshold by His threshold, and their doorpost by His doorpost, and there was but the wall between Him and them. All this indicates a lowering of spiritual standards, and a low appreciation of the holiness of their God, who plainly told them, "Ye shall reverence My sanctuary!" When the Lord said, "There was but the wall between Me and them", we realize what a thin line of separation the people observed between the holy and the common. Let us not fall into this snare in our day and time, and cause Him the grief that He suffered in Israel's day, for God is holy and His dwelling-place is holy.

Ezekiel describes a very large courtyard, approximately one mile square, in the centre of which is the temple building itself, thus giving the impression of the sanctified distinction of that holy dwelling-place.

It is difficult to follow the wording of Ezekiel's description of the temple building, but there are evidently two compartments, similar to the tabernacle, and Solomon's temple. The first is called the temple, and the second the most holy place (41:4), being divided by two swinging doors as in Solomon's temple. It seems strange that there is no mention of the ark of the covenant, or a lampstand or table of shewbread. Will these things all have fulfilled their purpose as types, and be superseded by the real Presence of the Lord? The altar of burnt-offering is retained, and given prominence in its place in the courtyard, "before the house". God calls this altar "His table" (41:22; 44:16), for it is the place where He will share with His people the precious memorial of the sacrifice of His beloved Son. What a privilege will be given to the sons of Zadok of whom the Lord says, "They shall come near to My table"!

The feast of the Passover will be observed in those days (chap. 45) but the priest will first offer a sin-offering, then take of its blood and put it upon the doorposts of the house of God. What a significant memorial to God, who gave the instruction to Israel in the land of Egypt to put the blood on the doorposts of their houses and said, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you"! One wonders what the Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said to His disciples in the upper room, "I will not eat it (the Passover) until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:16). Will He participate in some way in the great seven-day festival of burnt-offerings which will be the millennial Passover?

Then there will be the joyful festival of tabernacles in the seventh month, when the nation of Israel will remember all their sojournings and wanderings throughout the world, but will rejoice in the goodness of their God who has brought them home. This will be Israel's joy, but all the nations will be commanded by Israel's God to come to Jerusalem and rejoice with them, and to worship the Lord God of Israel. If they do not come, the Lord will withhold the rain from them, and send a plague upon them (Zech. 14:16-19).

The city of Jerusalem in those days will be renowned throughout the world, but her chief renown will be that she will be called, "Jehovah-shammah"-"The LORD is there" (Ezek. 48:35).

H. King, Kirkintilloch | Nov 1974
The House Of God